The U.S. Department of Defense has requested $22.6 million in FY19, and a total of $48.5 million through FY23, to develop a new low-yield nuclear capability for its Trident submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM). These figures represent DoD’s expected expenditure for the new warhead, and does not include funding from the Department of Energy. The low-yield...
On March 19, South Korean media reported that the ROK Army will deploy a new guided missile unit to counter North Korea’s long-range artillery sites. “The Ministry of National Defense has approved a plan to create an artillery brigade under a ground forces operations command to be inaugurated in October. The plan is to be...
On March 22, India conducted a successful test fire of its BrahMos cruise missile. The test took place at the Pokhran test range in Rajasthan, northwest India, and used a missile fitted with an indigenously developed seeker rather than the standard Russian-supplied variant. The BrahMos was fired from a transporter-erector-launcher (TEL). Indian Defense Minister Nirmala...
U.S. Army officials reportedly plan to tie THAAD and Patriot air and missile defense systems together within two years. The plan accelerates the integration of the two systems in response to operational needs on the Korean Peninsula. According to BG Randy McIntire, who is charge of modernizing the Army’s AMD capabilities, the plans incorporate steps...
On March 16, Arab coalition air defenses intercepted a Houthi-launched ballistic missile targeting Al-Mokha in western Yemen. The intercept was reportedly successful, with no reports of casualties or damage. On March 18, Houthi militants targeted the Saudi city of Najran with a “military-grade projectile.” At least one Saudi citizen was injured by debris. See CSIS’s...
U.S. Army officials plan to choose an interim Short Range Air Defense (SHORAD) capability in Europe by the end of the year. Brigadier General Randy McIntire, the head of the new Army Cross-Functional Team on air and missile defense, said that the Army should be able to choose between two viable systems by the end...
On March 12, a Russian official announced that Moscow will accelerate the delivery of S-400 air and missile defense systems to Turkey due to a request from Ankara. “Turkey expressed a wish to accelerate its implementation and we managed to find the most appropriate solution as we agreed to accelerate the contract’s implementation, so I...
Commercial satellite imagery indicates that China has begun construction of its sixth Type 055 guided-missile destroyer for the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). “The imagery shows that the pier side assembly of the first modules for hull 6 began between 21 December 2017 and 3 January 2018,” an IHS Jane’s analysis notes. “Two Type 055...
On March 13, a South Korean official announced a contract to purchase 90 Taurus 350K long-range cruise missiles. “The contract was signed in late February,” said Kang Hwan-seok, spokesman for the ROK’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). This acquisition will supplement South Korea’s existing stockpile of 170 Taurus missiles, purchased in 2013. The Taurus has...
Russia’s Caspian Fleet flagship, the RFS Tatarstan (691), conducted live firing exercises at sea. Speaking to TASS News Agency, Russian military spokesman Vadim Astafyev said: “The crew of the Tatarstan missile ship has successfully hit air, sea and shore targets with various types of shipboard weapons, including the AK-630M artillery system, the AK-176M artillery mount...
